


No Confirmation First

by atashi7



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: I was thinking about how sweet they're going to be, M/M, a fic done, and BAM, and other mistakes, might be a lot of grammar errors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 14:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4438181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atashi7/pseuds/atashi7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Hamada saw him behind the register table, he had to squint and blinked his eyes couple of times before he assured himself that the dark-haired guy standing right in front of him, now fighting with other customer over a last bun of today’s special Five-Cheese-Filling bun of their store, is indeed Haruna Motoki. And something just, turned to a way he never imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Confirmation First

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about Hamada and Haruna and it might be weird, because I usually lived off from canon stuff when I doubt they'll ever met in the series. But I also like to pair people who I think would be great together, and they're one of them. I feel like their personality will fit despite of the complete opposite (sort of...?) they'll make hella cute couple. I was trying to portraying my thought of how they're in my head, especially when reacting with each other, and there's not much fic with them as main view too, so here. It. Is. Please enjoy! And if you do, let's talk about HaruHama more!

The first time Hamada saw him behind the register table, he had to squint and blinked his eyes couple of times before he assured himself that the dark-haired guy standing right in front of him, now fighting with other customer over a last bun of today’s special Five-Cheese-Filling bun of their store, is indeed Haruna Motoki. 

He’s torn between to call out or not, because really, he didn’t think Haruna know him, but again, just being silent feels a bit rude. Hamada was so in dilemma that he didn’t realize he supposed to part the fighting costumers away from each other, but then Haruna’s opponent ran with the bun in his hand while cursing about _“If he’s the one who got it first then how come I’m the one who hold it, idiot”_ and left two pieces of 100 yen on the metal desk in front of Hamada, ending the dispute with Hamada still in awe of realization of what’s happening and Haruna swearing, pouting while making his way to the bread aisle and took a packaged steamed cheesecake back to where Hamada was standing below the big acrylic sign of “CASHIER”.

The famous high school pitcher was fighting over a bun, he might able to sell the news to some small sport magazine. Or maybe not, high school baseball was too serious for that kind of petty news. Hamada took the golden colored fluffy sweets wrapped in blue plastic packaging and asked, “Is it all?”

“If you have any more that killer Five-Cheese-Filling bun, I’d have one.” Haruna pouted even deeper, “But obviously you don’t, because that crap took the last one. So yeah, I’ll just be patient with this one today.”

Hamada couldn’t hold back to grin, maybe to the answer or maybe to the pouting pitcher, then his memory flashed quickly to his own Five-Cheese-Filling bun, sitting sweetly inside a plastic container in his locker in the employee’s changing room. He saved one for himself because it’s his favorite too (Of course, who doesn’t love their Five-Cheese-Filling bun?!), he planned to eat it as his Once in a Week Luxury Dinner before probably would settle back with more cup noodles or furikake on top rice next nights.

But the pouting Haruna, and maybe he wanted a starter to introduce himself and say hi, he said “Wait here”, half-ran back to the employee’s room behind the store (luckily, no one else is queuing), and pushed the white plastic box with cold bun inside to the Musashino’s captain’s chest.

“It’s cold, little heating will do the trick.” Hamada laughed, “Give it around 2 minutes and it’ll be melting to your tongue on the first bite like you knew it.”

Haruna’s expression was turned from complete confusion to huge disbelief.

“Are you an angel?!” Haruna exclaimed, “No way! Please, this is worth like… ARE YOU SERIOUS?”

“You seemed like you need it.” The blond showed a grin, “Maybe you need it for a good pitch.”

Haruna’s eyes was still round and big as he paid for both the cheesecake and the bun, walked towards the door just to turn his head back to Hamada and said, “If you’re not behind that desk, I would’ve hugged you.”

“It’s fine.” Hamada chuckled.

xxxx

Izumi was yelling at him again as he found out Hamada was eating furikake and rice only again for dinner the next morning (“But it’s katsuoboshi one, it’s healthy!” He tried to defend himself), then the younger boy pulled him to his house and ate a complete meal of Izumi’s household dinner: set of rice, miso soup, potato and beef stew and grilled salmon.

“It’s not like you couldn’t afford some proper meal! Honestly, there’s limit of saving up!” Izumi Kousuke was never a most patient one, and you can see that with how he’s stuffing Hamada’s bowl with more and more rice.

xxxx

Haruna came again the next day, to Hamada’s surprise, because he was working there for entire four months and he’s sure this convenient store wasn’t supposed to be Haruna’s regular. This is not the day of Five-Cheese-Filling bun too (today’s is Delish-Pork-Curry filling day), and Hamada wondered if Haruna didn’t know because he’s not regular.

He put a canned coffee and a salmon flake filled onigiri on the register desk, stared to Hamada’s eyes and blinked, then grinned, “I know you, don’t I?”

“Huh?”

“We met before. But I just forgot, I never good at remembering people that much. Who are you again? I’m sure if you explain me just a little bit, I will know.”

Hamada was thinking, about games he might came to cheer on, but he just remembered Haruna in the pixelated form of TV screen or printed on the newspaper, and he certainly sure yesterday was the first time of he realized Haruna got a small tiny mole on his neck that sure won’t captured on camera.

“I don’t think so?”

Haruna frowned, “Really?”

“I mean, I know you. You’re famous. But I don’t think you… know me. In any chance,” Two beeps, and Hamada put the stuffs inside the plastic bag, “That’ll be 250 yen.”

“Then why are you helping me yesterday?” Haruna counted on his small coins before putting some bronze ones on one big, shining 500 yen piece. He stared again at Hamada, eyes once more round and big, “If you know me, do you play baseball too?! And you know I’m a pitcher! You must be playing too!”

“Well, there might be an answer if you please step aside first for the next customer,” Hamada smiled to an old lady behind Haruna, and Haruna quickly let her paid for her clothes-softener and body soap refill, before back to pestering Hamada as the queue finished.

“Then? Right? You play too?” He leaned to the desk, hand propping his head and his eyes following Hamada moved to clearing the bills left by customers unwilling to keep them on their wallets. 

“I don’t. I do cheering.” Hamada smiled, “I’m Nishiura’s ouendan.”

“Takaya’s…!”

“Yeah, Abe, and Mihashi, and Tajima, and others.”

“Oh, no wonder you know me then!”

People will irked by that pride dripping sentence, and Hamada imagine a pissed tiny Abe on his mind, too (tho they’re now already reconciliated, as he heard from Izumi from Tajima from Mihashi, he’s sure Abe’s hatred was more than about their past), but he found himself laughing.

Because Haruna means no harm at all. He said with the same good attitude as he claimed how he wished he could have their Five-Cheese-Bun. This guy was just too honest, maybe even too innocent, even to the point he’s a bit dense. The blond was always have his highest point in interacting with people, and reading someone within short conversation was one he’s certainly proud for. That, and he’s getting old, maybe.

Haruna looked pissed –obviously he’s not used to people laughing at him, about his act, in front of him, and even a stranger at this point, and frowned, “Why are you laughing?”

“I’m just thinking about how you must be so curious about it, wondering about who I am all night long, even as you went to sleep that you just have to run here first thing after the noon practice to ask me if I play baseball too.” Hamada chuckled, “It’s cute.”

“What the hell?!” Haruna looked terribly pissed, but also full-face blushed, and Hamada just knew that he was very right. The pitcher grabbed his bag, and turned away. His ears were still red when he wrinkled his dark eyebrows and practically screamed, “Don’t act so conceited when you’re just an ouendan!”

Hamada blinked, and even though he’s hurt a bit, he never struggling with painful experience too long, so he just laughed about how red Haruna’s face was when he’s staring at his wet-stained ceiling, under his blanket, ready to sleep that night.

***

Haruna was hiding between the aisle of milk and instant noodle, and Hamada was stifling his laugh as he pointed out the price the customer in front of him had to pay. The pitcher kept trying to steal a peek when he thought Hamada wasn’t looking, and Hamada was amazed at how long he could keep it up, because it’s been whole 15 minutes and the queue was clearing up but Haruna was still there, pretend to still doubting between Meg UHT Milk or soy milk. 

His boss was here today, he walked out from the employee’s room and told Hamada to fill in the cold drink refrigerator while he’ll stand by on the register. Hamada picked up a new big carton box of Red Bull from the storage and almost knocked to Haruna, who’s, now that he remembered, still there.

“You’re not staying here because you want to work here, right?” Hamada chuckled, crouched down with face towards the cold rack, hands carefully moved the glass bottles between empty rows of packaged beverages.

Haruna didn’t answer, and Hamada couldn’t see his face, but he did heard a sound of shoe kicking the floor.

***

He’s used of younger children following him around in Gishi Gishi Sou, as he’s the oldest and everyone seeing him as big bro figure. He didn’t know how used he was, even now several years later, until he realized he didn’t even bother on the fact that Haruna stayed till he had to lock the store on the closing time. His boss was leaving early, after asking him about that guy wandering around their store without buying anything and Hamada finally said to him that it’s his friend. The kind old man said Haruna could stay at employee’s room if he wanted, but when Hamada proposed it to him, he’s shaking his head, eyes looking away.

“Seriously, do you have something you want to say?” Hamada dig to his phone inside his jeans pocket and flipped it open, showed it to Haruna, “It’s already 12. You should really go home. You have morning practice right? And your house must be far.”

Haruna didn’t answer, he followed Hamada walked his way home silently, before finally speak up, “You leave this late every day?” 

“Well, yeah.” Hamada laughed, “I usually went sleep straight. Then did- um, copying –homeworks next morning. But boss will let me off in test season, so it’s not that bad.” 

He added, “My boss wanted to make it 24 hours, but he haven’t found anyone who’s willing to do night to morning shift. Are you probably –”

“I’m sorry.”

The unexpected, sudden words got Hamada to look up from his handphone’s screen, stopped his fingers from typing a plea message to Izumi to borrow his Math homework, and blinked his eyes, “Why?”

“I said. _Just ouendan_.” Haruna mumbled, “It’s rude.”

Hamada wrinkled his eyebrow, “Huh?”

“Yesterday…”

“…Yesterday?”

Haruna exploded, and Hamada was sure even his root of black hair turned a bit crimson bright, “I-SAID! YESTERDAY! ‘JUST OUENDAN’! IT’S–!!!” He stopped when an old man, passing with his dog for night walk, turned to look at them, then muttering, eyes looking at the promotion banner of half price egg pack and frozen chikuwa placed in front of the locked door, “…It’s rude. Ouendan is important. Very important part of baseball. Especially high school baseball. I’m really s-s…” A gulp, “Sorry!” He screamed the last part.

Hamada laughed, “I know you didn’t mean it, it’s okay.”

Haruna looked at him, “What?”

“You’re just too embarrassed and you said stuff you didn’t mean to, and then thinking about it all the way till you go home, eat dinner, soaking in your bath tub, then turned on your computer to start googling my name and find my Facebook account which ended up disappoint you because it’s empty,” Hamada continued, “And still thinking about it all they till you went to sleep that first thing you did after your noon practice is to come here to say sorry.”

Haruna stayed silent, then mumbled, “It’s shower.” Then he bowed his head, made his voice even more unclear, “The profile picture was good.”

“It was taken by Mihashi’s mom!” Hamada grinned. The post lamp was a bit flickering, but the bright light red coming from around Haruna’s ears were certainly enough for them to started walking home, “I was pretty cool in gakuran, right?”

“A bit after the searching, tho.”

“Hm?”

“I- called. Takaya…”

Hamada huffed. He didn’t say anything to them, but he knew that they found out already about his condition, slowly by completing the puzzles from gossips from the cheer girls and other stuffs his old classmates knew. He smiled, “Hey, it’s not that complicated. I bet Abe-kun glossed it up to make you feel even guiltier.”

Haruna looked at him, eyes were so upset and confused, “You’re supposed to be angry.”

“At you?”

“OF COURSE! I’m annoying. Takaya hates me. Akimaru kept saying anything is my fault. I hurt your feelings. I said things without knowing, and…”

Hamada frowned, “Really, please stop that. Don’t make it such a drama.” 

“But you even repeat a year!”

“That’s because I’m stupid.”

“You have to give up baseball!”

“I still got ouendan!”

Haruna looked even more hurt now, when Hamada was sure he’s supposed to be the one who did. But he knew why, more or less. _That’s all you got, and I said like it’s nothing. I said ‘just’. I’m worst._

“It’s really okay. Anyway, you should probably stay at my place.” Hamada said, try to remind Haruna again that it’s now so late, “Then you can take early train back to your house in the morning.”

Hamada sure will get used to that big round eyes pretty soon now. He didn’t expect the slight flush on the cheeks, though.

“You’re living by yourself, right?” His voice even cracked a bit?

“Well, yeah. It’s not big, and not… the cleanest one, but I always vacuum it every morning, so it’s not filthy.”

Haruna looked so scandalized, and flushed, and nervous.

“…It’s okay if you don’t want to, too, though.” Hamada finally decided to say it, before he killed a Japan’s future star pitcher with sort of heart attack or hyperventilate.

“No, it’s not like that at all!” Haruna shook his head, still look torn between troubled and _‘is it really okay to do this’_ face, “I… kinda want to!”

Hamada nodded, “…Alright then.”

“My clothes…” Haruna trailed.

“We’re certainly on around same size.”

“Wear… yours?”

Hamada really didn’t get what freak out Haruna so much.

“If you want to sleep in your uniform, it’s okay too.”

In the end, while answering set of question about dinner ( _“Well I can cooked rice and see, here, I will let you get your human hands on my special furikake collections!”_ ), bath ( _“I have one inside my room, it’s okay.”_ ), homework ( _“Izumi….. was angry if I take it from his reply, but he’ll still let me see them tomorrow, I’m sure.”_ ), breakfast ( _“There’s a bakery close to my apartment, if you want to. I usually skipped them.”_ ), and tomorrow’s class ( _“I can wake up just fine, I’m used to it. Sometimes I sleep in the middle of lesson tho, hahaha…”_ ), they arrived without them realizing it.

Hamada was thankful at least his room was well-light and filled with some cheap but carefully picked furniture, so it didn’t look as depressing as when he moved in, and Haruna was certainly didn’t expected the light atmosphere he’s entering. Considering his imagination was filled with guilt and Abe’s probably spiced up story, he might have an image of dark, sad room of lonely male in his mind.

“It’s… nice.”

“I told you, it’s not that bad.” Hamada chuckled.

Haruna ended up borrowing a t-shirt Hamada got from his visit to Lake Biwa and a pair of stripes pattern short, without taking a bath, and they didn’t eat dinner because Hamada was too tired to chew and just want to sleep fast and Haruna said he didn’t need it. Hamada rolled open an additional futon he prepared usually for his mother visit, or when Izumi and Tajima and Mihashi stayed a night (Three of them were kinda small they fit in one futon just alright) for the pitcher.

“I’m sorry, I’m so tired so probably I will asleep so fast, like in 30 seconds or so.” Hamada yawned, eyeing Haruna who’s still reading something from a book he brought in his school bag.

“It’s okay.” Haruna nodded. 

His eyes were heavy, but Hamada’s curious, so he mumbled a question anyway, “Are you studying?”

“Uh… No, this is biography of Babe Ruth. I want to finish this a bit…”

“Oh, cool…” Hamada smiled lazily, before sleeping for good.

***

Haruna was up very early, and Hamada was still pretty much ¾ asleep, but he won’t ever didn’t see his guest off. The dark haired boy bowed down his head, “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Hamada grinned, a bit lopsided because he’s still leaving mostly his soul on the futon, “Be careful on your way home.”

“Say, can I come again?”

That’s a bit of waker, Hamada fluttered his eyes open, wide, asked, “Why?”

“I can’t?”

Haruna was supposed to be blessed with a pair of beautiful, prideful and conceited eyes, it’s new to Hamada that they could look so abnormally sad and hopeful.

“Well, of course you can. I might only home to sleep, though.”

“I don’t mind, sort of like today.” Haruna started to do this on thing that made him million times looked like he wasn’t from this earth but somewhere outside human’s imagination, maybe something named Planet Super-Pretty Guys or something and Hamada had to blink twice before acknowledged that he’s smiling, a sincere and very, very happy one.

He’s too sleepy to function or narrate normally, so Hamada just nodded and added, “Oh. If you come on weekend, I might able to serve you some dinner, because I got morning shift.”  

His blurry vision and thinking engine started popping blooming roses and raining down petals around the frame of Haruna figure, now grinning like he’ll never been happier in his life.

“Thank you. See you!”

Hamada waved back and walked in then fell to bed face first, snored right away and felt like he got a really good dream because there’s this really nice smell suddenly filled his nose. His neighbor maybe preparing a breakfast, or bento, or maybe this is smell of potted roses taken outside the window for some sunlight, or wind blowing the grass and he forgot to close the window…

But then he woke up from his alarm and he realized he was just using Haruna’s pillow from last night. 

***

Haruna came and go very often. He took his time on choosing between brands, took time to take out his money and paid and took time to leave. But sometimes he hang around outside a bit ( _Wait, not sometimes, isn’t that on weekend?_ ) and that’s when Hamada needed to read _the sign_ and went out, leaving the cashier with his small handmade _‘We’ll be back later, just wait a bit!’_  signage from art carton sitting on the register desk (there’s no one there anyway, actually), went out and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Usually it’s along the line of Haruna would like to visit and stay the night.

“I bought my own t-shirt.” Haruna said the first time he actually asked, on Saturday, two days after that one previous night leaving Hamada walking along the shampoo aisle and opening up the bottles’ caps and try to find out what brand Haruna used the next day. He could use it for a good sleep.

“Oh, okay. Cool. You want to eat dinner at my place, or should we grab something on our way…”

“Is it okay to grab something outside? I mean,” Haruna blinked, “You can afford it?”

Hamada replied with a hearty laugh, because he didn’t realize he made himself look that poor. Well he is, but he didn’t do that worse. Izumi might be right, he should’ve starved himself too much. 

“Well it’s a bit waste of money, but if you want to…”

“Then it’s okay, you don’t have to push yourself.”

Haruna looked so damn right serious about it but Hamada wanted to give something nice to his guest, so he grinned, “Then maybe we can cook something.”

“You could afford the ingredients, too?!”

“Honestly, did Abe said I’m a hobo?!” Hamada cringed, then laughed because he indeed thought it’s funny, “I usually ate cheap dinner to save money, but I’m not broke.”

“Don’t just saying that to make me feel better!”

That made Hamada laugh even more, “No, I don’t!”

“Gave me one example of how broke or rich you are.”

“Well,” Hamada huffed, “I could afford one luxury dinner of Wagyuu steak each month with my saving if I want to. But I can’t, because I send money back home, and pay for my own tuition.”

The boy in front of him gaped, “You paid your own school fee? And send money back home?”

“Not much, but helped my father and mother and my little bro.” Hamada winked.

Haruna was so much in awe, “I thought you’re so broke you even have to skip breakfast.”

“I skipped breakfast so I can sleep longer.” Hamada explained.

“Is that so…” Haruna looked so thoughtful for a moment, then gasped in realization, “A-Am I being rude again?! But I just didn’t want you to be troubled by my visit, really!”

“Rude? No…” Hamada hummed, “Oh maybe it’ll be, for another person. But it’s okay with me.” He offered a smile, “I like your honesty.”

Hamada didn’t see how Haruna react because there’s a customer walking in and he hurriedly back to the store, “Then, I’ll see you soon!”

But in flash he could spotted the red ears again.

That night he made curry rice for Haruna, they made little commotions in the supermarket because Haruna won’t let him buy some chicken ( _“I can eat vegetables! It’s okay!” “I told you I’m not that broke that I can’t buy some chicken!”_ )and he will note this as this week’s Once a Week Luxury Dinner. Izumi’ll be proud that he actually had a real proper dinner he called ‘luxury’ than his usual Five-Cheese-Filling bun (Izumi didn’t understand, that bun seriously is luxury food, it got five cheese inside and it’s freaking huge!).

“Your cooking is so delicious!” Haruna exclaimed, flushed by excitement and satisfaction. Hamada notice a couple of rice grains left on his upper lip and took them spontaneously, like he will do to Mihashi and Tajima and his little brother and his younger friends on Gishi Gishi Sou, and Haruna jerked, flushed even more, “W-What are you–! O-oh…” He nodded, “T-Thanks… I guess.”

“You don’t have any younger sibling don’t you?” Hamada laughed.

“W-Why?” Haruna’s eyes widened, “How do you know?”

“I just guessed. It’s right?”

“Well, I only got older sister.”

“Ah, I was right!” Hamada laughed, “We’re on the same age, but you feel like a lot younger. It’s like taking care of my little brother and my younger classmates!”

“You mean I’m childish… or something?” Haruna pouted

“No. Emm, I don’t know.” Hamada chuckled –there he was, asking that while pouting like 10 years old. He gathered the dirty plates and brought them to the little pantry –“Oh, I’ll help washing them!” Haruna said from his back –then he continued, “I just feel like want to take care of you. And tease you a little, like what big bro usually do!”

“W-What?! I’m not a kid!”

“But you’re so honest, like one.” Hamada laughed, hands watering and scrubbing on the plates with soapy sponge, and gestured to Haruna to help him with the drying by pointing on the clean cloth sitting on dinnerware rack.

Haruna stayed silent, then said quietly, “Well, I guess you’re really big brother-ish. We’re indeed on the same age but I feel like you’re lot more mature.” He looked up to Hamada, “Must be because you’re poor and working yourself off, you kinda know the bitterness of this world!”

Hamada choked on his own laugh and made Haruna worried himself to die.

***

Weekdays passed a bit quickly and Haruna dropped little visit here and there, not daily but never less than once in three days. And on weekend, he always, always, without no doubt, staying a night. 

His mother let him, because his mood was always significantly better after he’s home from Hamada’s place, which sadly usually ruined in a minute he stepped inside the house because of little, then growth to world war state dispute he’ll have with his older sister, and his mother would have to be even angrier to knock them off. 

Haruna would lock himself in his bedroom, throwing ball lightly while cursing why Hamada couldn’t be his older brother instead of the demon girl.

He knew that he was never the most polite person, and that’s what his sister was usually going on about, his big mouth and stabbing words. But sometimes he just didn’t know things he said could hurt other people’s feeling, and with Hamada, that tendency threw really far off the balance. Hamada laughed everything off, always think that his honesty is really funny, and he’s downright too nice for his own good.  Haruna wondered how Hamada managed to live a healthy 16 years without someone using him or anything, but then he added to his mind how Hamada is kind, but also mature and gave off the very cool and brotherly aura that won’t be mistaken for weakness. 

Haruna never felt so comfortable around someone so much like this.  

“It’ll be special training for spring again, soon!” Haruna said the next stay, excitement bubbling that he even stopped spooning Hamada’s special homemade chahan to his mouth, “I can’t wait for us to start get into shape and I’ll make Akimaru really did his catching practice, strictly!”

“That’s nice!” Hamada commented, grinning, “It’ll be soon warm enough to practice outside, in Nishiura too! I’m surely need to gather the cheer squad again and talk about it more, huh…” He hummed, “Maybe we could practice Arinomama, it’s so popular recently!”

“Ah, I wish Musashino have an ouendan, too.” Haruna back to eating, replying while chewing, “It’d bee nesh _(It’ll be nice)_.”

“Yes, ouendan really hyped the member up, you know!” Hamada nodded, smiling.

Haruna gulped down, “I should just hijack Hamada to cheer on Musashino instead.” He huffed, hand fisted and eyes dreamy, “When I batted, I could hear Hamada’s voice leading crowd to calling my name. How cool!”

“Hahahaha!” Hamada laughed, and put his hand to pat on Haruna’s head softly. Haruna felt a fluttering inside his stomach, at how Hamada’s hand wasn’t actually that big he thought it’ll be, it’s a bit chilled by the air but he got warm instead around his cheek and ear.

“If you do well in the practice, I will cheer on you on your match. But well, not as ouendan.” Hamada smiled, voice clear and gently, spelled slowly like he’s promising a kid, but Haruna just wished he could kiss him.

_Wait, what?_

***

“You’re eating very proper that it astonished me.”

Said Izumi, who’s in the little quick question game four of them did in lunch, of “What’s one thing you’ll bring when deserted in an island”, won the acclamation as the item they’ll all need the most.

“You’re realizing it actually very surprising! Or scary!” Hamada shrieked.

“Well, you gained a little bit fatter. And sort of… more fresh?”

“Am I?” Hamada tried to pinch on around his hips. He might be do, a little, “I’m cooking almost every night for a guest.”

Izumi looked up from his Heian Period poetry notes, “You’re picking up some stary dog or cat again? It’s bad for you. Last time you did, you gave her more food than what you’re eating.”

“Not exactly a dog or cat… More like…” Hamada actually thought about what animal Haruna would resemble, but he ended up with, “A… bit… like little human kid instead.”

“Hamada–“ Izumi’s already big round eyes got even more bigger in terror.

“N-no, no! I didn’t pick up baby left by his mother or something!” Hamada laughed, “It’s… maybe… a new friend….”

“From our school? From work?”

“It’s…” Hamada didn’t understand his own wavering to tell Izumi the fact that he actually started building any kind of relationship with Haruna that’s more than a star and a person who knew him from media, “Haruna…?”

“Huh?”

“I met Haruna Motoki, and we became sort of… I mean, we kinda get along…”

Izumi blinked, “HUH?”

“It’s weird, isn’t it?”

“It is. But well it’s not that weird, maybe, we’re still around Tokyo, and you’re also somehow related to baseball…” Izumi hummed, “Is he nice? Is he annoying like what Abe said?”

Hamada told Izumi about his meeting with Haruna and some of their conversation and ended up with Izumi being really irked.

“He won’t get along with many people.” Izumi actually had to drink his water bottle empty to drain away his anger, “Maybe it has to be you, indeed.”

***

“Call me Motoki?”

Hamada turned his head away from the bubbling oden within the pot, and blinked, “Huh?”

“Call me Motoki, and I’ll call you...” Haruna paled a bit, Hamada could see the white even when the pitcher was sitting a bit far across him behind the small table they always used to eat, “You are…”

“I’m Yoshirou.” Hamada responded, laughing.

Haruna looked relieved, then smiled, “Is it okay?”

The blond thought about it and answered, “Are we that close already?”

“I feel even closer to you than I do to Akimaru.” Haruna shook his head, “Even though we’re together for almost 13 years!”

Hamada laughed, and think about it again. Then he asked, “How about Toki-chan?”

“What’s that?!”

“Moto-chan?”

“No! It’s Motoki!”

“Motoki-chan?”

A brief pause, then a quiet voice answer, “That’ll do.” Hamada listened to how Haruna shifted in his seat, then stood up and walked to him, now standing very close behind him and he jolted when Haruna put his chin on Hamada’s shoulder.

The unknown smell that’s really good of Haruna’s might be homemade or exported or sent from space shampoo because Hamada couldn’t find it anywhere filled his nose back again, and he couldn’t move from hand from its last position of stirring the soup. 

“It smells good.” Haruna said, words slurring.

_It does!!! Where do you buy it?!_

“It’s almost ready.” Hamada could hear the nervousness within his own voice.

“I mean you.” Haruna did that little nudge to Hamada’s neck with his forehead, “Yoshirou.”

_Goddamit. Izumi, Izumi! What should I do?!_

“I-I’m sweaty! And must be smelled like fish broth.” Hamada tried to move away from Haruna’s sudden cuddling attitude, only to felt Haruna’s arm grabbed around his waist instead.

“Yoshirou is so… thin.”

Hamada tried to respond normally but all he can produced is some creaky noises. He tried to clear his throat and finally able to yell out a “Haruna! I- I can’t move!” after he felt Haruna’s warm breath were getting warmer around his ear.

“Ah, sorry!” Haruna finally let him go, and Hamada laughed, “It’s okay …” then he smiled towards the pitcher, “And it’s ready, let’s eat!”

The dinner was okay, it’s all normal though Haruna was certainly a bit more… touchy. And spoiled? He bumped their shoulder and let their ‘accidentally’ brushed hands stayed longer. Hamada wasn’t sure what to do, and what this meant, but they went asleep and it became a bit clear, if not more confusing.

Because he was fast asleep, as he always did, but he was still noticing some little things, like a rustle of Haruna rose from his futon next to him, and landed something lightly upon his lips.

He’s too sleepy to react, though in his dream he acknowledged it as another pair of lips.

***

Hamada was really troubled he took his first ever day off from his work, _ever_ , the next Monday, because he just wasn’t sure how to react if Haruna visited him. He even thought if he should getting another job, but this one was really good, he got higher salary than average and his boss was really nice and he got to save his own portion of his Five-Cheese-Filling bun. He’s thinking how it’ll be good if he’s sick or something so he won’t be so guilty of taking a day off.

Miraculously, he really did. He cursed his luck and how God was so on in granting every of his tiny bit wishes, but still thankful about that. That night of his first ever ever ever day off, his hair dryer fried and left a bit burnt stain on his corner of the room’s Tatami floor, and he had to sleep with wet hair, and he ended up with terrible fever the next day that made Izumi really angry, but worried, and served him a bowl of prawn porridge his mother made in quick for Hamada. The younger boy ran from his house right after Hamada told him in the morning that he’s sick, taking care of him and bought him medicine and stuffs. He was late for practice and Hamada was really sorry because Izumi had to do a fifteen run around the school routes as punishment, but Izumi yelled, “This is nothing! Imagining you’re laying sick, I was so scared that if I wait entire day to come, I will smell a dead man already when I stepped inside!”

Even with Izumi hardcore way of caring, a lot of water and healthy foods, he was still shivering at night, heated up inside but was frozen outside, and it was worst. It’s like his body was punishing him for times when he didn’t provide them good enough dinner, maybe except on weekends with Haruna. _And now you’re trying to avoid Haruna?! When will get our nice food then?! A person like you should just die from high fever! After all our efforts of keeping you standing and functioning, too!_ maybe they said.

He’s sorry, he’ll eat more proper dinner, and breakfast too.

Mihashi made him a big bowl of warm and tasty gratin on Izumi, Tajima, and his visit the next day. He wanted to kiss his childhood friend for being such perfect, cute kiddo with sweet smile. Which reminded him.

“Mihashi, do you have Haruna’s number?”

Izumi stared at him from his position in pantry, washing dishes with Tajima ( _“Because Ren got that usual very abnormal restriction from Takaya to not wash glass material wares with the risk of him dropping them and hurting his finger… I wonder if he’s still with that mind when you two are married later and it meant he had to do all the dishes ALL THE FREAKING TIME?” “K-Kou-chan! We… married…?!”)_ . 

“I- No!” Mihashi blinked, “But… I can ask… Ab-Takaya-kun!”

“Will you do?” Hamada grinned, “Thank you!”

Mihashi nodded, and smiled, and Hamada couldn’t handle it, he just had to pull Mihashi to a bone cracking hug.

He accepted the contact info sent by Mihashi around 30 minutes after three of his classmates went home, and Hamada wasn’t sure of what to type. 

He’ll just tell him he won’t be on store for uncertain period. He did, and fell asleep. And dreamed of the undiscoverable shampoo.

***

Last night sleep was better, maybe because he apologized to his own body, and made promises with them. And he kept them, he actually strong enough to get up so he did, and made himself a nice ochazuke with salted salmon flakes as topping. He might be also strong enough to start working again, but he didn’t want to risk his body’s trust and let them conspirated against him anymore, so he’s staying at home.

He put his phone on silent mode, and spent half day without seeing them, too busy to slowly clean up his room and diligently copying Nishihiro’s very useful note of Biology and English. He looked for them as moon appeared in the now dark sky, when he remembered he had to prepare dinner and also to tell his boss that he’s better and he can come to work tomorrow. 

And his eyes grew wide on 32 missed calls and 28 messages from an unknown number.

One message from his father was slipped between Haruna’s yell out of WHAT HAPPEN and WHY and TELL ME MORE and PLEASE REPLY and PLEASE DON’T IGNORE ME and lastly PLEASE DON’T HATE ME. Hamada enjoyed reading his message which were more and more desperate, laughed his heart out and chuckled in the end, typing back a reply.

_What I’m so scared about?_

Hamada shook his head.

_He didn’t mean any harm. He’s just too honest kid._

**I’m sorry, I didn’t see my phone entire day. I caught a fever, but now I’m okay. I will go to store tomorrow. Don’t worry. And I don’t hate you!**

His phone vibrated and a message, typed in rush, popped in as a reply.

**_I ll come_ **

Hamada was panicking; it’s already night, early indeed, but still, Haruna really didn’t have to, Hamada was already healed and perfectly okay.

**You don’t have to! I’m okay already!**

**_I’m already on bus. Wait a bit._**

Hamada huffed, and laughed at how spontaneous and how reckless, how hurried… and… how sweet Haruna was. 

He’ll prepare dinner like usual, then.

***

Haruna cleaned up entire stocks of orange jelly, ion drink, packaged cut fruit and hot cocoa of the convenience store he found on his way to Hamada’s, but he’s not good with taking care of sick person –he never did, at all, and he wanted to help make Hamada feel better, so he had to settle with buying him any food he knew was good for relieving fever.

But Hamada was really fine already, he accepted his get-well-soon year supply anyway, and thanked him.

“You want to come in?” Hamada asked.

“It’s okay. If I get in, I might want to stay, so I’ll just go home now.” Haruna said, still half catching his breath, “You’re sure you’re already fine, right?”

“I do.” The blond nodded, “You really come just to see me and give me all these?”

“Y–“ Haruna just realized now about how stupid it was, “Yes. Sorry. I… I want to see you, too. I couldn’t find you at store for days… well, two days, but I was so…” He fell silent, embarrassed and was so lost before that now his heart was jumping around his chest on the sight of Hamada again, and hopefully Hamada didn’t think he’s dumb, or really reckless and not thinking through, oh, dammit.

“No, why sorry?” Hamada smiled, “It’s really nice of you. Thank you. I’m so happy.”

Haruna looked at him with eyes wide, “H-Happy? You are?” Then he saw Hamada was wrapped in thin blanket around his tall figure, and exclaimed, “Y-You should get inside! You might catch it again!”

“I’m fine.”

“But you never be sure with fever, they’re–“

He felt something warm pressed to his mouth, and his heart could just ripped his chest open by how they’re throbbing right now, it feels like they wanted to just freaking jump out, and fly, and of course he will be dead, but he didn’t mind –because, because Hamada, Hamada was kissing him.

And smiling, blindly, “I’m okay.”

Haruna didn’t know he was wasting entire 10 seconds staring at Hamada’s expression turned from flushed and smiley to embarrassed and a bit puzzled because he didn’t get any respond, then to stifling his laugh because Haruna’s face grew bright, light, crimson red, before he managed to let out, “I really want to come in now.”

“E-Eh?!” Hamada jolted, “N-no, don’t! I had courage to do that because you said you’re not coming in!”

“Y-You can’t just kiss someone and waved them goodbye!”

“You did it in my sleep!”

Haruna gulped, “I-if you were awake you should let me know!”

“A-Anyway, you should go home!” Hamada moved and half-closed the door, before peek out his head from behind it and show a shy grin, “You could stay again this weekend.”

***

**EPILOGUE**

By the way, because Hamada actually had prepared dinner, but Haruna was just so kissable and he’s so light-hearted with sight of Haruna again on his door frame he just had to kiss him only to be so embarrassed to let Haruna inside and let awkwardness stirred in the room, he packaged his stirred spinach and white cream pasta and gave it to Haruna next day he visited him at store.

Haruna looked like he was told that someone moved Christmas date 11 months earlier.

“Just heat it, and…”

“I-I really like you, Youshirou!”

“I know, listen to me, heat it in microwave for maybe 4-5 minutes…”

 

***

**MORE EPILOGUE**

Izumi pointed out that he looked so much nicer and less tired, as opposed of that fact that he had to serve a guest every damn weekend.

And Tajima added, one of eyebrow raised, smiling, “Or do you have certain sport to do on weekend too?”

“TAJIMA! THAT’S DISTURBING!”

**Author's Note:**

> I used a lot of Japanese food terms inside, they're all tasty, you might want to google them! Not to do before dinner.


End file.
